Our publication scheme
Our publication scheme lists all the information we publish for the public and explains where to find it.
For further information about Freedom of Information and your rights and our obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, see our Freedom of Information page.
Why we have a publication scheme
The Freedom of Information Act gives anyone the right to access information held by public authorities such as the General Osteopathic Council.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, we must adopt and maintain a ‘publication scheme’ so that information can be made routinely available to the public. We are required under the Act to make information available to the public as part of our normal business activities, but we would do this anyway.
Further information about your rights under the Freedom of Information Act is available on the Information Commissioner’s website.
Our publication scheme
The General Osteopathic Council has adopted the model publication scheme for public authorities approved by the Information Commissioner. The model scheme sets out our obligations with regard to publishing and providing information and describes the kinds (classes) of information we should make available. You can see the model publication scheme on the Information Commissioner’s website.
Our publication scheme also follows the Information Commissioner’s recommendations for the specific types of information that health regulators are expected to publish and make available in each of the classes defined in the model publication scheme. These expectations are set out by the Information Commissioner in a definition document. You can see the definition document for healthcare regulators on the Information Commissioner’s website.
The purpose of the publication scheme is to make it easier for you to obtain information from us by letting you know:
- what information we provide and hold
- how you can obtain information
- about any charges that may be made.
The scheme includes a guide to information, which lists all the information we provide and tells you how you can obtain it. Where the information is available on this website the guide includes a link to the relevant section of the website.
Contracts with a value over £25,000
As part of the publication scheme we publish a list of suppliers with contracts that have a value of more than £25,000.
How to get information
Most of the information in our publication scheme is available to read or download from this website. If certain information is not available on the website, the guide to information explains how you can obtain it.
Information in other formats
We are committed to ensuring the accessibility of all the information we produce.
Paper copies
If you would like a paper copy of a website page or of a document that is downloadable from this website, we will supply single copies free of charge.
Translations and large print
We will accommodate requests for translations into other languages and for documents in other formats, such as large print, wherever possible.
Charges
Single copies of most of our printed publications are available to the public free of charge. We may make charges for:
- producing multiple copies in paper or other formats
- certain hard copy publications, which we normally charge for
- postage.
We will let you know how much this will cost when you request the information and we may ask you for payment in advance.
We charge for a public version of the transcript of a fitness to practise hearing to be made (free copies are only supplied to parties to the hearing). Depending on the redactions and editing that may be required, costs can vary, but start from £2.00 per page and include postage and packing for hard copies. We can give quotations on request and will need payment in advance.
Requests and further information
Requests for information in other formats should be made to the communications department on 020 7357 6655 x242 or email: info@osteopathy.org.uk.
Information not in the publication scheme
If the information you want is not included in the publication scheme, you can request it, using the Freedom of Information request form below and emailing it to foirequest@osteopathy.org.uk
Or print off the form and post it to:
The Head of Regulation
FOI Act information requests
General Osteopathic Council
Osteopathy House
176 Tower Bridge Road
London SE1 3LU
Please include:
- your name and an address (email or postal) that we can reply to
- as many details as you can about the information you require, to help us provide it quickly.
Most of the information is free, but we may make a charge for particular items. This is indicated in the publication scheme and we will let you know of any relevant charges when we reply to your request.
Freedom of Information request form
Request for information from the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC). Please complete this form if the information you require is not already available from our publication scheme.